The Ghosts by my Side
by HappyCookiie
Summary: For as long as Kagome can remember, there has never been a moment in her life when she has felt truly alone. There has always been someone there, watching her from afar, hiding in the corner of her eye. Who are these silent watchers? And what do they want with an innocent little shrine girl?


**Author's Note**

Inspired by the song 'Still Here' by Digital Daggers, a song that ended up on my playlist for some reason. But after listening to it for a while, an idea for a story began to take shape in my mind...

Okay, so you know how Kagome grew up in twenty-first century Japan and then travelled back to the Sengoku period, it made me wonder why none of the immortals she met in that time ever made contact with her in her time, even if she didn't know them, because surely they would right? What I'm trying to say is, why did she never see people who had a long enough lifespan to reach her era? Someone like Sesshomaru or Shippo. Surely if they lived until her time, they would want to see her? (Especially Koga). So that was the main inspiration behind this fic. Perhaps those characters had watched her in her time, watching her grow up and waiting for the time she would be dragged down the well and pulled into their timeline. You following? I don't blame you, time travel is pretty confusing shit.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little one-shot song-fic centering on Kagome, and the mysterious strangers that seem to linger by her side like ghosts.

**Character: **Kagome.

**Themes: **Fantasy, Drama.

**Summary: **For as long as Kagome can remember, there has never been a moment in her life when she has felt truly alone. There has always been someone there, watching her from afar, hiding in the corner of her eye. Who are these silent watchers? And what do they want with an innocent little shrine girl?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Inuyasha at all.

* * *

><p><strong>- THE GHOSTS BY MY SIDE -<strong>

A Kagome Higurashi song-fic

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They were always there... Watching her. Only ever watching… hidden in the shadows, peaking around the corners. Looming at her bedside as she slept, singing silent lullabies of lost shards and angry demons as she slumbered. But who were these hidden companions? Why did they insist on pursuing her so? And what did they want with an innocent little shrine girl like Kagome?

_"__Musing through memories,__losing my grip in the grey."_

The first time any sign of them had ever appeared to her, was the first day of kindergarten, or the night to be more specific. She was sitting on a swing set situated at the centre of the local park at sunset, humming quietly to herself and staring down at the ground. A group of men carrying sour-smelling glass bottles with sweat-coated brows began approaching her, and before she could even think to run… they were face-down on the ground, groaning loudly in agony. Kagome blinked twice before looking around for who could have done such a thing so quickly without her even noticing their presence. And then she felt it - the vivid thrum of another's presence. Her blossoming spiritual powers went off like a radar, alerting her of the unknown being that was somewhere nearby in the vicinity. But before she could call out to question who was there, the dark presence was gone. Gone with a flash of _two metal blue orbs_ and the distinct howling of a dog in the distance… or was it a _wolf_?

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The next time something like this happened was sometime in the autumn that year. She had been playing in the red and orange coated shrine courtyard beside several gardening tools, and had skewered her left leg on the leaf rake. Deep red liquid ran down her ankle and formed a pool at her feet, and her vision became fuzzy. With her limited consciousness, the sharp strum of negative energy she had felt before returned and set her spiritual powers on fire.

_"__Numbing the senses…"_

There was no longer any feeling in her left leg where the blood was seeping from endlessly, but all Kagome could do is study her surroundings with her fading vision in an attempt to pick out the source of the dark presence. This one felt different to the other, more hot and sizzling in the pit of her stomach. Just as she lost consciousness, _two bright emerald orbs_ glinted at her from within the sea of orange leaves around her, and for a split second Kagome could have sworn that some of the fallen leaves looked almost like _ginger hair_…

_"__Fighting to hold on."_

When she finally awoke after what felt like years but in reality was probably no more than a few hours, she was laid in a hospital bed with her family and close friends at her bedside, all wearing worried expressions that instantly softened the minute she opened her eyes. A large hand closed over her small one and she looked up into the eyes of her father. He smiled down at her and gave her hand a squeeze, before planting a reassured kiss on her forehead and running his other hand through her hair. "Thought we'd lost you kiddo," he breathed in relief, "My Kagome's a little fighter isn't she?"

_"__Clinging to just one more day."_

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They called it cancer. Several months later her father had come down with an illness, and after a check-up from the doctor, it was confirmed. And according to everyone, it was serious. Kagome would sit at her father's bedside at the hospital, watching his rough struggled breaths as he slept. The screen beside the bed with lots of wires next to it suddenly began beeping, and Kagome panicked that she had maybe done something to damage it. The nurses and doctors came rushing in like a wave, shooing her out politely and insuring her that everything was going to be fine. So out in the corridor she stood, watching the closed doors intently waiting for them to open and reveal the form of her beloved daddy. But after several hours, the only people who came through hospital doors were her mama and grandpa. They rushed to her side and checked her up and down to see if she was okay. The hospital had called them, and they had called them for a reason.

"Daddy is… daddy is dead sweetheart."

Dead. What was dead? They told her it was just like sleeping and it wasn't painful at all. Just like sleeping… That night, Kagome daren't sleep at all, just in case the same thing that had happened to her father happened to her too. As she lay in her bed, eyes unblinking in the darkness, something stirred in the room. She sat up and looked around, clutching her quilt with her fingers. _Red eyes_. A pair of sharp glowing red eyes with feline-looking midnight slits at their centres stared back at her from the darkness of the room, and Kagome froze. She didn't even dare breathe as the pair of crimson orbs began nearing her, and she started to tremble as the high dark energy returned and flooded her system. But when the creature came close enough for her to make out what it was, she instantly relaxed and let out a relieved sigh. It was only Buyo, her cat. What was wrong with her, being scared of her own cat? But then she realized the reason she had been afraid… Buyo didn't have red eyes…

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_"__Love turns to ashes."_

Kagome stood at her mama's side, clasping her larger hand in Tokyo's main graveyard, as the small pot containing her father's essence was lowered into a small hole in the ground and then buried and marked with a stone slab. Tears rolled down many cheeks there, polluting the air with the smell of salt, and Kagome's mama sniffed. "Don't stay out here too long okay dear? We're all… g-going inside, so join us soon." Kagome nodded and watched as the others slowly made their way into the funeral hall in a melancholy way. She stared down at the small stone slab that was marked with her father's name, and knelt before it. Thick droplets began to build in her own eyes, and she wiped them away with the sleeves of her dress. This wasn't fair. There were still so many things she still had to tell him, so many things they had to do together… This shattered every ounce of hope and optimism that fuelled Kagome, and she broke down and cried.

_"__With all that I wish I could say…"_

That night, Kagome pulled her quilt up to cover her face, and closed her eyes, surrendering to the sleep. This way she would be with her beloved daddy. If 'death' was indeed just like sleep, then this way they could be together again. What Kagome didn't see however, was the small cream feline that sat curled up in a corner of her room, scarlet eyes glinting in the dim light.

_"__I'd die to be where you are, I tried to be where you are."_

The days fell into a sort of routine for Kagome then: eating breakfast; going to school; walking home; eating dinner; then sleeping. All of these were done without her usual amount of cheer, and instead she had become rather down. She now rarely spoke and tended to keep to herself, making her seem rather strange in the eyes of her classmates, and it only got worse when she moved on to elementary school. "There's that weird girl," they would whisper silently as they walked past her, "The one that never talks or shows any sign of emotion."

_"__Every night, I dream you're still here."_

Now being so lonely all the time, Kagome's only means of comfort and slight happiness, were in her dreams. She dreamed all sorts, all kinds of fun situations for herself, loyal and loving friends… and exciting adventures. One particular adventure sparked her interest the most, and acted as her motivation for reality. In this particular dream, she was a powerful miko (something she aspired to become in the future) journeying with her group of companions in search of the pieces of a magical stone that had been shattered… a stone that possessed the power to grant any wish a person should so desire. Kagome loved these dreams. She loved them almost more than she had loved anything ever before, and she longed for them to become a reality. She also occasionally dreamed that she was a different person entirely, another powerful miko that fell in love with a mutant – half man, half monster. It was all terribly exciting and beautiful to young Kagome; however it only dispirited her ordinary life as she knew she would never be anything as special as she was in her imagination. But this was where the sinister presences she had felt in the past returned…

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_"__The ghost by my side, so perfect so clear."_

One white winter when the snowflakes fell from the heavens and blessed the barren earth below with its white blanket, Kagome ran out into the white abyss and danced around the shrine courtyard, pretending she was a hero like she was in her dreams. It was in this delusional state that she happened to notice a stranger standing atop the shrine steps that lead down to the street, staring out at the horizon with his back to her. He almost blended in with the white of the snow with his regal get-up and fur boa, even his hair was long and pure white! Who was he? Wrapping her scarf tighter around her neck, she scurried up to the stranger's side and peeked up at him from beneath her dark bangs. He either didn't notice her or was just choosing to ignore her. She made her staring a little more obvious in the hope that he would acknowledge her, but he merely glanced down at her with his mysterious golden eyes.

"You resemble Rin in your youth, miko." was his only statement before he walked down the shrine steps slowly, silver hair blowing in the cold breeze almost like snow itself. Kagome watched his retreating figure with curiosity shining in her big brown eyes as he simmered away into what looked like snowflakes, and he was gone.

In the midst of her dreaming, that clad-in-white figure joined the list of characters – rival at first but eventually ally. She would awake every morning like usual, but unlike on that snowy day… she never saw him again out of her dreams.

_"__When I awake, you disappear."_

She would pet Buyo and scratch his chin before running downstairs – with more enthusiasm than before – leaving the tubby house cat purring on her bedroom floor. What she missed, however, was the flash of red in the feline's eyes and the small wildcat-like growl that sounded. The animal then curled up in the shadiest corner of the room and fell into a sleep.

_"__Back to the shadows…"_

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For her tenth birthday, Kagome's mama bought her a small gold heart-shaped locket containing a picture of her father inside. He was doing his sheepish grin and making the victory sign with his fingers. Two feelings swelled up inside of Kagome: one – sorrow; and two – joy. Though the memory of her father was painful, they weren't particularly bad memories; in fact they were really good from what she remembered. And there wasn't a lot that she could remember any more. Memories faded over time and became no more than black and white flashing images. But _things_… things were real. They couldn't disappear. This was why this picture of him would help his image and legacy stay clear in her mind… so she held it close to her heart, hoping it would help her remember…

_"__With all I hold dear, with all I hold dear."_

That night, Kagome fell asleep dreaming dreams of her father and her, not her quest for the pieces of the ancient jewel and her companions for a change. Those spontaneous dreams of adventures and love would not resurface any more, for little did she know was those dreams would no longer be dreams for her… they would become more. So for the time being, her empty dreams were filled with images of her beloved father.

_"__I dream you're still here."_

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That next summer, Kagome and her little brother Sota scurried down to the fields that bordered their family shrine, laughing wildly and knocking into each other as they rolled around on the grass. They found a small lily-pond hidden behind some trees, and sat beside it looking at the lilies. Sota dipped his finger in curiously and yelped when something nuzzled his finger. Kagome blinked in surprise and looked into the blue-green water of the pond, and was even more surprised when a large green toad popped out of the water and stared at her with its beady yellow eyes.

_"__Hidden companion…"_

As if the ugly-looking toad wasn't weird enough, what Kagome saw next made her jaw literally fall open. Standing at the other end of the lily-pond was the clad-in-white figure she had seen years ago on that snowy day at the top of her shrine. His eyes glinted amber in the harsh sunlight and the green of the trees shone down onto his pure white clothing, basking him in a gentle green glow, almost as if he was one with the nature. His eyes watched Kagome intently. Sota tugged the hem of his sister's summer dress and stared at her in a frightened way. She gave him a reassuring smile before returning her attention to the stranger she had once met so often with in her dreams.

The toad made a loud excited croak before it was stopped by the beautiful fanged stranger's voice. "No Jaken… that is not Rin." he said softly, almost _sadly _in fact. The toad he had called Jaken stared up at Kagome once more and seemed to come to a sort of realization, but was silenced by the stranger once again. "It is not yet time; the miko is not of age yet." Jaken nodded and popped down under the water without another sound, leaving a vertical trail of bubbles where his head had sunk. The clad-in-white stranger then returned his gaze to where Kagome sat with her younger brother and his narrow eyes softened ever so slightly as his gaze fell upon the gold heart-shaped locket hanging from her neck.

"…The necklace is more befitting on you than it is the Hanyou…" he mumbled before slowly walking off into the woods behind him, his cream pelt blowing behind him in the summer breeze. Kagome brought a small hand up to curl her fingers around her locket and she gave it a firm squeeze.

_"__Phantom be still in my heart."_

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One autumn afternoon after school was over; Kagome was skipping along the sidewalk, kicking over piles of fallen leaves and jumping in puddles. She held her new pink umbrella over her head as a light rainfall started, and she stood watching the droplets fall to the ground. She hadn't been standing there for long, but a figure soon bumped into her from behind, and she turned around and looked up from under her umbrella. _Bright emerald eyes_ blinked down at her, belonging to a young man with fiery orange hair that was bound up with a green ribbon. He gave her a toothy grin and apologized for bumping into her, causing her to smile too. Since the rain was still falling, Kagome stood up on her tip-toes and held her umbrella over the ginger haired stranger to keep him relatively dry. He stared down at her in surprise, before a small smile formed on his face. His next words both surprised and confused her however.

"Promise me Kagome," he smiled down at her small form, "Promise that time won't erase everything we went through, promise me you won't let it." She blinked in confusion, making his smile widen as he shook his head. And then, with a wave and another bright smile, he turned and walked away.

_"__Make me a promise that time won't erase us."_

_"__That we were not lost from the start…"_

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It had been so long since her father's death now. She finally knew what death was, meaning that she was no longer afraid of going to sleep in the fear that she too would meet that same fate. The only fear of sleep she had now – was the dreaming that came with it. Hundreds of dreams of her cherished daddy. Yes it had been so long since his demise already, but the dreams only made the pain worse. They ripped open the wound once it had eventually healed, creating a permanent scar.

_"__I'd die to be where you are, I tried to be where you are."_

_"__I dream you're still here."_

She awoke from an especially awful dream of her father's dying face in a cold sweat, and sat on her bed panting heavily. Her eyes instantly shifted to her desk across the room and rested on the gold locket that sat on the top, glinting in the darkness like the white-clad stranger. She reached out for it but her arm reached nowhere close. The room was so dark and there was a red glint in one of the corners, and Kagome didn't particularly want to get out of bed and enter the sinister, _'demonic'_ as her grandpa had described, energy that was filling the room. So instead, she sat on her bed with a hand over her rapidly beating heart, hoping the thudding would eventually die down on its own.

_"__Ever slightly out of reach."_

She laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes, ignoring the hammering of her heart and the dark aura in her room. She even ignored the cream coloured feline that crawled onto her bed with her, thoughts focused on going to sleep and her daddy.

_"__I dream you're still here."_

The next morning, Kagome opened her eyes and stepped out of bed to a devastating scene on the floor. Her locket was open and sprawled out on the carpet, the picture that was inside having fallen out and… torn into tiny little pieces.

_"__But it breaks so easily…"_

It was torn… Why? How? Who? Her ears perked at the sound of a dog howling somewhere outside, only this was the same howl that didn't sound like a dog… it was a _wolf_. Outside in the shrine courtyard, a single figure with long bound black hair stared up at Kagome's bedroom window, his _metal blue eyes _filled with an odd sense of longing and sadness. "This is all for you…"

_"__I try to protect you…"_

Kagome fell to her knees on her floor and scooped up the torn pieces that were all that remained of her picture of her daddy. She held them in her hands and began to tremble, tears welling up in her eyes as she shivered. Her memories had all nearly faded; she couldn't lose this physical object too. She just couldn't.

_"__I can't let you fade."_

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On the day before Kagome's fifteenth birthday, she put on her junior high school uniform and left through the front door with her yellow bag pack. Noises from the small well-house in the courtyard caught her attention, so she skipped up to the tiny hut and found her little brother standing outside of it wearing a worried expression. He told her that Buyo had scampered into the tiny shrine and that he wouldn't go in to retrieve him because it was too scary. So Kagome shook her head, put her bag down, and made her way into the hut. Inside was dark and dusty, making her cough as she looked around for her tubby house cat. Eventually, she spotted him sitting at the bottom of the wooden steps by a bordered up dry well at the centre of the shrine. She walked down the creaky steps and scooped the fat lug up in her arms. But before she could go back to Sota, an odd presence appeared behind her and three pairs of arms grabbed her from behind, dragging her back down the now open dry well. Buyo flew out of her arms during this and when he looked down at her falling form, his eyes were a deep crimson with black slits down the centres… and his fur was cream.

As Kagome fell down a tunnel of blue lights, dragged by a terrifying monster that only she could dream up in her vast imagination… all memories of her father were left back up there with her family… as she was dragged away into an enchanted abyss of adventure and mystery. The last words on her mind were: "Daddy… I promise I won't allow time to make me forget you."

_"__I feel you slipping… I feel you slipping away…"_

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**Author's Note**

Well that's it, hope you liked it! Just if you didn't guess, the demonic presences she was sensing in order were: Koga (the howling), Shippo, Kirara (known as Buyo in the twenty-first century), Sesshomaru and Jaken.

Please leave some reviews, favourites, follows etc if you enjoyed! I really appreciate all the support! ~Happy


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